Where to Cross-Country Ski With Your Dog in Canada

Yes, you can cross-country ski with your own dog in Canada—but only on trails that specifically allow it. Three worthwhile starting points are Teal’s Tango near Collingwood, Nakkertok’s Pooch Loop near Gatineau, and the designated dog trails outside Smithers. Each offers a different kind of winter getaway, with important access rules.

A dog-friendly hotel beside a Nordic centre does not automatically add up to a dog-friendly ski holiday. The useful question is more precise: which named trail welcomes a skier and their dog, through which entrance, and at what time? Get those details right and the trip becomes wonderfully simple: a manageable ski, something warm to eat, and an evening together rather than a dog waiting behind.

These three ideas span British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec; they are a shortlist, not a complete national directory. Plan them for winter 2026–27 using the live conditions links below. Published dog access is not a promise of snow, grooming or an opening date.

First, choose the right kind of outing

This guide is about cross-country skiing on trails where your own dog is permitted. It is not a dogsled tour, and it does not assume your dog will pull you. Skijoring is a separate pulling sport involving a harnessed dog and specialist equipment and training; a trail accepting skijoring is not an invitation to improvise it on a first ski holiday. Bragg Creek Trails’ activity guidance explains the distinction between skiing with a dog and being pulled by one.

The other important distinction is between ski and snowshoe access. At Highlands Nordic, for example, the dog-permitted ski loop is a specific exception to the main network’s dog ban. A resort advertising dog-friendly winter trails might instead mean a walking path or a snowshoe route. Read the activity and the route name together, not just the paw symbol. If walking in snow is what you actually want, start with our beginner’s guide to snowshoeing with your dog.

Pick an outing that suits both members of the partnership. A confident skier with a dog accustomed to passing people has different options from someone learning to stop while their dog investigates every moving pole. If you are new to skiing, arrange your own lesson first, with someone else caring for your dog. Then decide whether skiing together belongs in this trip at all.

1. Teal’s Tango, Ontario: a short ski and a Blue Mountain overnight

For the clearest, most compact starting point, look at Highlands Nordic in Duntroon, south of Collingwood. Its designated dog-friendly ski trail, Teal’s Tango, is a flat 3 km loop in the front field. The operator describes it as suitable for beginners. That makes it an appealing place to keep the ambition modest rather than turn a first shared outing into a distance challenge.

Dogs must remain leashed, waste must be collected, and dogs cannot enter the building. The rest of the main ski network is not dog-friendly. Highlands also has a separate snowshoe network; that is not an extension of your permission to ski Teal’s Tango. Read the official trail description and dog rules before choosing your pass.

The published 2026–27 rates list an adult day trail pass at $38, including HST, and an adult recreational classic-ski rental package with trail pass at $76. These are the general published rates, not a special dog-loop tariff. Confirm the appropriate ticket and rental arrangements for your visit. Use the live conditions report to check Teal’s Tango itself; do not assume that other trails opening means this field loop is ready.

Make the overnight pleasantly uncomplicated. The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain is a regional base rather than trailside accommodation. Its policy allows up to two dogs per room, both older than six months, with a $50 nightly pet fee capped at three nights, before taxes and fees. Dogs cannot be left alone in guestrooms. Ask for the correct dog-friendly room and include the pet charge in the full booking total.

That no-alone rule makes dinner planning easy to settle in advance: the hotel offers in-room dining. A quiet meal together is a better fit than making restaurant reservations and discovering that nobody can stay with the dog. At the ski centre, bring a packed lunch, or have one adult handle purchases while another remains with your dog. Do not build your day around taking a pet into the chalet.

Our suggested rhythm is one daytime ski, an unhurried return to your room, and no obligation to do a second circuit. Keep the next morning flexible. The overnight should make the outing feel less rushed, not create pressure to ski in unsuitable conditions just because you booked a room.

2. Nakkertok’s Pooch Loop, Quebec: a small Outaouais escape

Nakkertok offers an unusually specific answer for skiers travelling with dogs: the Pooch Loop, in the field beside Johannsenhus. Use the lower Bradford Bunker parking lot and enter from there. Dogs must be leashed, all accompanying owners must be on skis, and non-members must pay the trail fee at the main chalet before skiing. The club also says not to let dogs run on the trail; this is not an off-leash exercise outing.

The timetable is the crucial detail. Dogs are excluded during Learn to Ski sessions on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. Check the current session schedule rather than assuming a gap between lessons is available. Skijoring is welcomed, but ordinary dog-permitted ski access and skijoring should not be confused. All of these restrictions appear on the official Pooch Loop page.

This is a particularly good concept for a flexible weekday break: a small, clearly identified ski outing paired with a comfortable night in Gatineau. It is less suitable for a rigid Saturday itinerary. The dog-access page does not publish the fee amount or a loop distance, so check the current trail charge rather than borrowing a price from another Nakkertok product.

In particular, do not mistake the early-season Nakkertrak snowmaking loop for the Pooch Loop. The club’s Nakkertok Today page carries current trail status and event impacts. At our November 2 check, it still described fall access restrictions and weather-dependent November snowmaking; it did not establish that Pooch Loop skiing had begun. Plan a winter visit after the dog loop’s own availability is confirmed.

Hilton Lac-Leamy provides a straightforward Gatineau hotel base, with pets allowed, a published $50 non-refundable fee and a 75 lb maximum weight. The same official page lists room service. Confirm the number of dogs accepted, the fee’s application to your stay and any room restrictions before booking; do not assume a general pet policy answers every reservation question.

Keep this getaway deliberately small: travel in daylight, settle your dog into the room, and put the ski in the part of the visit that actually fits the club’s schedule. Room service or a meal brought back to your accommodation avoids depending on a winter patio. A hotel accepting pets does not establish that its restaurant, spa or other shared spaces do too.

The appeal here is not an enormous itinerary. It is knowing exactly where the dog belongs, then leaving enough of the day free to enjoy being away. If the loop is unavailable, change the activity rather than transfer the dog onto another ski trail.

3. Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre, British Columbia: a Smithers ski-town break

For a longer northern-BC getaway, the Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre has a dedicated 11 km dog-friendly network: Pooch Paradise, Wild Dog and Hound Heaven. This is network mileage, not a suggested single outing. Enter from the lower parking lot; dogs are excluded from the upper parking lot, buildings and other trails.

Leashes are required in the parking area and until after the tunnel. Beyond that, dogs must be under voice control or leashed; expect other dogs to be off leash. Skiers with dogs follow the posted direction, with a maximum of two dogs per skier and four per group. The club excludes aggressive dogs and females in heat, requires waste pickup, and asks owners of disruptive dogs to leash them and leave. Carry a valid day or season pass. The official dog-trail policy is essential reading.

Unlike a small leashed field loop, this setting asks you to think about encounters with other dogs. It is not the right choice simply because your dog would enjoy running. Choose it because the posted rules, your skiing ability and your dog’s behaviour work together. Use the trail map to plan a manageable route instead of treating all 11 km as a target.

The club’s homepage welcomes the 2026–27 season and links its Nordic Pulse grooming report. Its day-pass page lists ticket purchase at McBike & Sport in Smithers and self-service at the centre, including the lower parking lot. Check the current amount and payment arrangements before heading up. The club also warns that trails are unpatrolled, no first-aid attendant is on duty, and mobile coverage is poor; read its safety information and do not rely on your phone as the whole plan.

In town, Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge Smithers publishes a limited inventory of dog-friendly rooms, a $30 nightly fee, and a maximum of two dogs, each under 80 lb. Reserve the dog-compatible room specifically. The hotel’s main page cautions that dog-room availability cannot simply be assumed from an ordinary room booking.

Make meals part of the relaxed plan: pack your trail lunch and arrange supper to eat back at your accommodation, with one person staying with the dog during collection. Boston Pizza Smithers is one practical in-town place to check for your chosen meal and current ordering options. This is a food-planning suggestion, not a claim that its dining room accepts dogs.

Give yourself more than one possible ski day if you are travelling a long way. You are booking time in Smithers, not buying a guarantee of perfect tracks. A rest morning is part of a good dog holiday too.

Before you commit to a ski weekend

Start with the dog trail, then book the bed. Save the exact trail name, permitted entrance and conditions page together. Check again before the accommodation’s cancellation deadline and on the morning of your outing. An open Nordic centre can still have a closed dog route.

Keep the booking questions concrete: is the designated dog room confirmed, what is the total pet charge, how many dogs are allowed, and can the dog ever be left alone? Then settle meals and equipment collection around the answer. For a solo traveller, these details matter just as much as the route.

Let your dog’s comfort determine the length of the day. Cold tolerance varies with age, health, coat and conditions; there is no single temperature that makes a ski suitable for every dog. Cornell’s winter safety guidance recommends attention to paws and signs of cold stress. Stop and seek veterinary advice when needed, and do not use an unattended cold car as the solution to a no-dogs chalet.

For planning, use the Pawtastic Vacation Planner to organize your base, route and backup day. Search the Paw Rewards directory for stays and services, then reconfirm the operator’s current policy. Find more small escapes in our Seasonal Adventures hub.

The best ski-with-your-dog weekend is not necessarily the longest or most remote. It is the one where the trail genuinely welcomes you both—and the rest of the trip makes staying together easy.

Photo credits

Smithers: Shawn (CC BY-SA 2.0); Blue Mountain Village: Transportfan70 (CC0 1.0); Gatineau: Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0). ShareAlike images retain their respective licences.